A steep cliff with a drop of about 60 feet is located in a field near the top of Convent Street in New Waterford. Police and fire crews found a child’s body near the shoreline of New Waterford on Saturday afternoon. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentAn autistic child who went missing from his New Waterford, Cape Breton, home was found dead in the water on Saturday afternoon.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentAccording to a statement from inspector Jodie Wilson of the Cape Breton Regional Police Service, the mother believed the child escaped through the family’s kitchen window.Article contentArticle contentThe police services’ dive unit, the Cape Breton Regional Fire and Emergency Service’s rescue unit and EHS were dispatched at about 2 p.m. on Saturday, as well as local fire crews.Article contentArticle contentThe child’s body was found in the water near a cliff.Article content The edge of a cliff in a field area close to the top end of Convent Street in New Waterford. Emergency personnel — including the regional police service’s dive unit, a regional fire rescue and EHS — attended the scene from the waterside to discover the body of a young boy on Saturday near a shoreline area close to New Waterford.Article content“Our condolences go out to the family during this difficult time,” reads the statement.Article contentGerald Coady, deputy fire chief of the New Waterford Volunteer Fire Department, confirmed to the Cape Breton Post that the child was a young male with autism.Article contentAccording to Coady, the incident took place “right up the top of the hill at the end of Convent Street (in New Waterford), probably one of the highest part of the shore. He just ran, it seems.Article content“Our boys found him and got him on the boat, and they took him back, and then we had to wait for hours for them to pick him up.”Article contentCoady said the boy’s name was not being released, for privacy reasons. The age of the boy is still being confirmed, according to CBRM councillor Darren O’Quinn, who represents New Waterford constituents.Article content An autistic child who went missing from his New Waterford, Cape Breton, home was found dead in the water on Saturday afternoon. Photo by CAPE BRETON POST FILEArticle content“Our town is hurting today,” O’Quinn said.Article contentPolice said in the release the fatality remains under investigation.Article content
Autistic child dies after wandering from Cape Breton home
